Shikaka Tatsuo
The Fourth Lord of Amegakure recently took back the throne, born and raised to provide a strong mind and body to Amegakure's military and political scene, it is no wonder the man is known as the Bloody Hand of Amegakure, especially after having faithfully served the JITE and previous rulers of Amegakure. Personality Machiavellian is what many people would use to describe Tatsuo as. Cold, harsh, cruel and deceptive, the man has little in the way of friends and much more in the way of subordinates. As a Jonin, Tatsuo carries out his work to the letter and isn't afraid to use frowned upon methods in achieving his goals. He is often known to sacrifice his team mates or civilians in order to get the job done and is known by many as a man to fear, getting the job done by any means possible. As a man who has been raised to face the greatness of an JITE operative, Tatsuo carries himself with a distinct grace that is mostly found within the Clan's. His very lack of a Clan heritage is something that drives a wedge socially between himself and many other members of the Shinobi world and many have noted that this makes him appear socially emotionless. Tatsuo views his work as a necessary evil to ensure the security of Amegakure and his only answerable higher up, Maboroshi Masao. His work is first and foremost and the man is known to be serious when it comes to his work. He can show a considerable lack of care for anyone other than his close few comrades. One trait that is noticeable beyond all others is Tatsuo's complete loyalty in Masao - like a well oiled machine, the man will act without questioning his orders. One thing that truly irritates Tatsuo is insubordination. Because he is used to getting things done in his own way, when the odd chance occurs that someone does not listen to him Tatsuo can get an awfully bad temper. Once his temper starts, his cold and calculative side can increase ten-fold and it is seldom that anyone can bring him out of his temper. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Tatsuo cherishes his conversations with his Komodo Dragon familiar, Kuroryu. Because the two have been together so long, it sometimes appears that the two know what each other are thinking and they rarely argue. Once set up in this conversational mood, or if someone does something to brighten his day, Tatsuo can become quite chirpy to those he holds nearest and dearest. In his private time, Tatsuo strives to be away from other people. His reputation as the Bloody Hand has earned him nothing but contempt and fear from many civilians of Amegakure, Being by himself allows Tatsuo to enjoy the little things in life, like watching the world go by or sitting in the rain that Amegakure is renowned for. Without his JITE persona, Tatsuo can be quite an amicable individual though it is rare that just anyone will stumble onto this small part of Tatsuo's personality. If one were able to crack far enough under the icy armour that Tatsuo throws up, they would find someone who can be charming when it suits them. Tatsuo isn't all cold stares and harsh manners, when he finds the need to open up Tatsuo can become a mixture of complicatedly humorous and sweet. Though this state of mind is few and far between, there is a soul to the man regardless of the countless unspeakable things he may have carried out. Appearance Shikaka Tatsuo's height and weight are a good reflection of the man's personality. Standing at tall 6'2 and a slender 87kgs makes Tatsuo's persona stretch even farther. Tatsuo has a slender but muscular build that is easily recognisable with his blood red ponytail. When one looks at Tatsuo, it is apparent that the man holds himself in high regards as he walks with perfect posture. The man has a strong jawline that is made even more striking by his bright yellow eyes. Tatsuo's gaze can be piercing and works well with his straight nose and thin lips. His hair, which easily covers his eyebrows, is a dark chocolate-y brown colour which is relatively shaggy asides a red ponytail which stands as his insignia as the elite of JITE. Asides from the blood red ponytail, Tatsuo's most striking feature is the tattoo that runs from the base of his wrist to the top of his shoulder blade. It is an intricate design that wraps around the man's arm in as a dragon with its head ending on the centre of his shoulder blade. This tattoo was inked on Tatsuo on his 16th birthday as a representation of his abilities and his name. Clothing wise, Tatsuo does not don the usual JITE gear. Instead, preferring to stand out with a black on the outside and red on the inside jacket lined with gold and a simple white t-shirt underneath that easily defines his taut muscles. He wears a dog tag with a hand on it that is a representation as one of the Hands of Masao, something which he created in loyalty to Amegakure. Tatsuo doesn't wear the usual Shinobi headband since most of his operations require his services to be untraceable, though his dog tag is the closest thing to identification. On the bottom half Tatsuo wears full length black Shinobi leggings with leather black boots that lace up to his ankles. Since Tatsuo also carries a sword, he prefers to wear fingerless leather gloves that make using his sword far more comfortable. He carries his katana on his hip, and quite often can be seen walking holding the hilt of his katana. Tatsuo also has a JITE mask the equivalent of an Ame ANBU mask) which hides his face during missions. In formal situations, Tatsuo can be found in a traditional kimono. The top half of the kimono is a dark red colour that is wrapped over the top of a basic white garb. It is then adjoined with a black floor length skirt that is tightened with a black belt with the sign of Amegakure on it. Tatsuo always wears his insignia necklace underneath his robes as well as ensuring his red ponytail stays over the right shoulder. History Twenty-five years ago on the 25th May was one of the hottest days ever recorded for Amegakure. Amegakure's usual rainy weather was contrasted with clear blue skies and a roaring sun that roasted almost all within its glare. It was on that day, in an overflowing hospital that Shikaka Tatsuo was born, crying from the sudden entrance into the world. Tatsuo's mother had had a particularly difficult pregnancy with the young Shikaka and developed a series of issues post-birth. This meant that Tatsuo's mother died shortly after giving birth after suffering from HELLLP syndrome. Tatsuo's parents weren't particularly close, and had joined together in order to raise a baby who would be able to strengthen Amegakure. His father had been heavily involved with the Third Shinobi war as a JITE operative and had agreed with Tatsuo's mother, a fellow Jonin, than the best way forward was to fuel Amegakure with a healthy, strong child who could carry the mantle onwards for the sake of the Village. Tatsuo was raised with militaristic discipline. With no brothers or sisters, the young man was expected to have the best of both his mother and his father and the ability to hone his skills to perfection. By the time Tatsuo had entered the Academy, he had already been given a basic katana in order to practice with his father. Long grueling lessons with actual swords ensured that Tatsuo learned quickly how to parry and defend himself from other swordsmen. His father, also adept at swordsmanship would attack Tatsuo and cut the young boy should he fail to defend himself adequately. This was concurrent with almost all things in Tatsuo's childhood. At the age of 5, Tatsuo was given a Komodo dragon named Kuroryu. Under the tuition of his father, Tatsuo would learn to that command the respect of Kuroryu, though it would take many years until the two had reached a working bond. Until then however, Tatsuo was trained relentlessly to use his katana to attack and defend. Throughout the Academy, Tatsuo was chastised for trying to make friends with fellow students. His father deemed making friends too time consuming and would chase off his potential friends in order for the young boy to continue his training. For most children, this would have been mind shattering, but for the young brown haired boy, there was no other life to dream for. So, the boy stopped wishing he had friends and continued with his studies. Bright and intelligent, but no great intellectual protege Tatsuo's swordsmanship and ninjutsu abilities far outshone his tactical prowess. Although the boy passed first time around aged 11 to Genin, he was by no means confined to one specialty. It was in his Genin years that Tatsuo truly came into his own with his Katon capabilities. Many Genin teams were trained to a strict militaristic regimen to begin with, but because Tatsuo was instilled with the need to be great the young man was pushed far beyond the level of most Genin. It was at this time the Ame-Suna border conflict erupted over a pipeline that used Amegakure resources. Under the supervision of their Sensei and another squad of Genin, Tatsuo was pitted against older Chunin and the occasional Jonin in key locations that destroyed Sunagakure's hold on the pipeline. His father had taught him that mercy was not an option for a prospective JITE, and was encouraged to attack mercilessly and viciously with his katana and katon capabilities. By age 15, Tatsuo was advanced enough in his training to attempt the Chunin exams. As a reward for helping to achieve victory over the Ame-Suna conflict, Tatsuo was given Akaiittou, a specially designed katana for the lad that was able to combine his own chakra powers with the swords blade. This was key for the young boys success in the Chunin exams. The teen had wiped out almost all in his Chunin exams, though the means in which he did were brutal by normal standards. Facing off against other prospective Chunin, Tatsuo's squad initially teamed up with another team from Amegakure in order to gain the upper hand during the trials. It wasn't until the near end of the trials that Tatsuo's team used the other Genin team as a means to an end in order to propel his team forward. Though there was no real need to, Tatsuo allowed the other Genin team to get massacred by another team from an opposing Village so that they could take their scroll and wipe out the straggler Genin. For Tatsuo, there was nothing morally wrong with his decision - he had successfully completed his objective with next to no issue for his own safety and where one would see his actions as atrocious, Tatsuo only saw efficiency. Almost as soon as the promotion had been officialised, Tatsuo was put forward for JITE training. Not unlike his childhood training, the teen was put through a series of trials that would either crush the young man's spirit or push his talents to their limits. Tatsuo's father constantly pressured the lad into success as his only option and it wasn't long before the boy himself truly believed his purpose of life was to be an asset for JITE and ultimately, for Amegakure. On his 16th birthday, almost one year into his JITE Operative training, Tatsuo decided to get a tattoo representing his namesake and what he imagined his persona as across his arm and snaking up to his shoulder. The teen had slowly become the man his father had wanted him to be, calculative and efficient so unlike many of the Chunin his age. It was around this time that Tatsuo was sent out of Amegakure's main Village to complete a series of assassinations that deposed of a threat to the Ame's Lord Masao. Because he had chosen to go voluntarily on such a mission, he garnered the attention of Masao as well as for his ruthless nature and loyalty to his job. Tatsuo was quickly introduced into the Illusive Hand, answerable only to the Ame Lord Masao and to no one else he became one of Ame's most proficient assassins. Unquestioning and vicious, Tatsuo quickly ascended the ranks of JITE and quickly established a fear base amongst many of his colleagues. With Kuroryu at his side, the man quickly garnered the respect of his peers as a force to be reckoned with. Though it was not known what his main role was publicly, many knew his name was one to fear for his unquestionable devotion to Amegakure and nature of defending it and it's Lord. Tatsuo quickly expanded his power base amongst the servants of Lord Masao and quickly became a figurehead for many to look to as the older man became increasingly frail. Ties became fraught between the Captain and the Jonin Hanchou, while Tatsuo continued to cement the power of Masao the Hanchou pushed himself into the spotlight trying to grab control. Rumours were had amongst both sections of Amegakure, that the will of the Lord was crumbling and a new era was being put into place. Since Masao's retreat from the limelight would only fuel the rumours, it was quickly ascertained by the Illusive Hand that the threat should be stopped at its source. With the Jonin Hanchou's untimely demise, leaving a vacuum of power within the leadership of Amegakure. The job was assigned to the JITE Captain, a master assassin and a key figure within the government. Should he be caught, he would be tried and executed as a traitor. Failure was not an option, In the dead of night, with his familiar in tow, Tatsuo entered the house of the Jonin Hanchou. Slipping through the rooms as dark and silent as a shadow, the older man did not realise his death until the sword cut through his jugular vein. The very next morning, the body was removed from the house but no one would speak in fear of their words being taken to the secret organisation that protected the elderly Lord Masao. With the threat of a coup-d'etat removed, a new sense of responsibility was placed on the shoulders of Tatsuo. The responsibility of rule. He was entrusted by the Lord to carry out his wishes and was supported by the Illusive Hand. Now that the reign of Tatsuo has begun, rumours are being woven that the superiority of Amegakure has to be proven. And the young man is not resting on his laurels. ''4 Years Later '' Time has not been kind to Amegakure. Diplomacy was slow and the inexperienced Lord grew complacent with his rule, Yukigakure began talks with Amegakure to change their hostile nature. Amegakure involved itself in Iwagakure's civil war, with Tatsuo opening alliance negotiations with Iwagakure's rebellion. It was progress, but slow. Tsuo even managed to find what he thought was love. Distracted with the woman of his affections and seemingly with the wind out of his sails, Tatsuo allowed complacency to take over his actions. The economy was good, however, and seemingly in his fleeting mind that was good enough to Tatsuo. But love is never easy and soon it was apparent that his beloved was becoming of increasingly frail of mind. Torn between looking after her and looking after the country, Tatsuo chose the country. One year later and his beloved died, driven insane by her own power, rumours spread that she had either taken to the hills or Tatsuo had once again proven his alias as the Bloody Hand. Regardless Tatsuo was beside himself, angry at the lack of progress within Amegakure and jaded at the prospect his loyalties had been so easily manipulated. Tatsuo went back to the Illusive Hand, the mysterious organisation had never been far from his grasp. As one of the fingers he had always been in touch, though perhaps over the past year he had grown distant from them. But with his heart broken and his mind worried the man officially stepped down from his Lordship leaving his Jounin Hanchou in charge. Publicly Tatsuo had retired from political life, but no one saw hide nor hair of the man. He simply ceased to exist. For three years Tatsuo conditioned himself, revigored his determination and relit the fire for success in his soul. The Illusive Hand operated in the background, watched silently as Lord Fifth attempted to create alliances with Yukigakure and Iwagakure. Watched as he somewhat succeeded. Tatsuo never stopped working in the underbelly of society, the Illusive Hand bent firmly into his grip to the point that he became the Palm. He still listened to Masao, but his own determination replaced the unquestioning loyalty. In his mind Amegakure was his to run, his own country to mould. Displeased with the way Takumi ran things, sensing his complacency as progress slowed, Tatsuo returned to the limelight. With firm political connections and unwavering loyalty from his subordinates the Lord Fourth removed Lord Fifth from service, taking back his throne and setting his own plans in motion. Abilities Tatsuo's fighting style is unique in that it combines marshal swordsmanship with brutal ninjutsu. The man prefers to watch his opponent, hidden in the shadows, to understand their abilities and their weaknesses. Depending upon whether the opponent is his target or someone who gets in the way depends on how he will attack them. He will either take out a target using his katana with his silent killing technique or he will aim to maim or disintegrate his opponent with his powerful katon and suiton jutsu. Extremely skilled in both ninjutsu and bukijutsu, Tatsuo prefers to cover a short to medium range on the battlefield once the weaknesses of his adversary has been assessed. Due to his mastery with his katana and his aggressive katon techniques, Tatsuo is a hard man to hit and can be equally brutal when going on the offensive. His raiton jutsu is predominantly defense based but has been known to use the odd suiton jutsu if it gives him the upper hand. Once in a fight, the man is not ashamed of playing dirty and will ditch honour if it means completing his objective. Years of harsh training has allowed Tatsuo to hone the tactical prowess of his mind. While he is not the best in Amegakure at tricking his enemy mid-fight, he can be formidable as he is known to set up his attacks before he carries them through. The man likes to cover all bases before getting himself into a fight, but will sacrifice his team mates if push comes to shove in order to complete his mission. This makes Tatsuo efficient as a leader because he holds little compassion to those he has to fight or rule against. Katana Master Since Tatsuo could walk, he has been trained in the way of the katana. The katana has become an extension of Tatsuo's arm, and he is nigh on impossible to compete against when he has his katana at the ready. Tatsuo has mastered almost all defensive and offensive techniques that rely on the blade alone and can move at incredible speeds when using the sword. Silent Killing Technique When Tatsuo entered JITE, he was already an efficient swordsman. Becoming part of the enforcement branch of JITE and carrying out the most brutal of tasks on behalf of Amegakure has allowed Tatsuo to master the silent killing technique. He is virtually impossible to detect while carrying out the technique. Considerable Katon Prowess As his primary specialisation, Tatsuo is a indomitable opponent when he uses his katon release. Known to have his own arsenal of katon attacks that are also part of his katana techniques, Tatsuo can be a formidable foe in a fight. His knowledge of Katon Release techniques is vastly advanced compared to most Shinobi. Enhanced Chakra Control Due to the years training with advanced ninjutsu and combining them with the art of the katana, Tatsuo has garnered the ability to control his chakra to a precision. This enables the man to use his ninjutsu with pinpoint timing that most Shinobi are not capable of. Intimidating Presence The title of the Bloody Hand isn't for nothing. Tatsuo has carried out unspeakable acts during his life for the preservation of Amegakure. His cold and harsh persona can intimidate an opponent and seldom to people find reason to quarrel with him. Many Shinobi are known to follow his orders not only because he is Lord but also because he has such a fearful presence within Amegakure. Because of this persona, giving orders and getting people to speak are somewhat easy for the man.